Thursday, February 15, 2007

It's The Responsible Thing To Do!

In perusing blogland lately, there has been much talk about de-stashing. This got me to thinking about the term "stash" when referring to one's yarn supply. I'm sure others have said it, but I'll say it as well: I really don't like that term. I admit, I use the term myself, but I need to break that habit. It brings to mind images of a junkie's hidden supply of his or her drug of choice. That's not the image I want to associate with my cherished yarn!

There's a new movement afoot to think of one's yarn not as a stash but rather as a "collection." This is certainly a more pleasing term than stash, but it still doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Although there are some positive connotations to a collection, such as a collection of art, rare books, or something else of value, there are still some unpleasant associations that come to mind. Many "collectors" are people who hoard items of no real value. You know the people. When they eventually die, those who care about them spend weeks or months of their lives sorting through giant stacks of newspapers or endless sets of NBA-themed plastic cups from fast food restaurants. I'm satisfied enough to have my yarn viewed similarly to a priceless collection of art, but not so happy to think of it on a par with thirty years worth of TV Guide magazines!

I prefer to think of the accumulation of yarn as the responsible thing to do. I am knitter and that will never change. Just as any responsible person will do their best to build a nest egg for retirement years, shouldn't a responsible knitter build a fiber nest egg? My plan is simple: To accumulate enough yarn so that in my golden years I can happily knit whatever I choose without consideration to whether I can afford to spend money on yarn.

My idea of a beautiful retirement dream is to have a room in my house entirely filled with yarn. When I want to start a new project, I want to be able to view my stash . . . uhhhh, collection . . . I mean nest egg . . . and select the yarn I will use just as I would if I were in a yarn shop. I want to be able to lavish knit gifts on people I care about without having to dine on canned dog food to afford it. I want to smile as I reminisce about that beautiful spring day when my husband and I went for a drive on the coast with the convertible top down and the radio playing, and we stumbled on a yarn shop where I bought that gorgeous laceweight alpaca in colors that reminded of the ocean we had been enjoying all day.

Some may say I have too much yarn. I say that I'm planning ahead and doing the responsible thing. That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

It's funny, I had a well-paying job last year, one which also happened to take up almost all my knitting and spinning time. I exercised my fiber-love by buying much more yarn and roving than I could actually use at the time - some to go with specific projects, some just because. I quit the job over the summer to be a stay-at-home mom, and now I have lots of knit time, but not much money - no problem though, I'm able to knit and spin from my own person store! So see, it does come in handy, and way before retirement age!

Wonderful! I absolutely agree. We are simply banking our cherished fibers for the future. I, too, envision the same room in our new home. In fact, I have already layed claim to one bedroom for just that purpose. This is an investment in my future and my well-being. It will keep my mind sharp and my fingers nimble. Considering that retirement is several years away, I have a lot of banking to do. :)

I'm totally in agreement with you! I sometimes feel guilty about building my stash, but I keep thinking that right now I'm working, can afford to buy yarn, and if I ever lose my job or retire, I'll have a few years' worth of knitting waiting for me, already paid for!Thanks for validating my beliefs!

For many knitters, I think the best term is "palette"--an inspiring group of fibers and colors from which the knitter can create almost anything.I don't think it applies to me, as I'm a very boring solid-stockinette-smooth-wool knitter, but it's great for many others.